CenturyLink and the Communications Workers of America (CWA) have reached an early agreement on a three-year contract extension covering more than 8,000 employees in 13 states.

The proposed deal provides wage increases of 3% in the first year, then 2.5% in the second and third years. lt preserves job security provisions and pension benefits, and reduces health care costs for workers and retirees, according to the CWA.

The agreement covers legacy Qwest CenturyLink members in Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Minnesota, and Iowa. CenturyLink workers in Montana are represented by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.

CenturyLink;s Mark Molzen

CenturyLink spokesman Mark Molzen said his company is “pleased that we have come to a tentative agreement that provides our employees with competitive wages and benefits that will better enable us to deliver on our commitment to serve our customers.”

The new agreement extends the contract through April 1, 2023. Details are being provided to CWA District 7 members and locals, and a ratification vote will be scheduled.

“We are very pleased with the extension that our bargaining team has negotiated during early bargaining,” said Brenda Roberts, CWA District 7 vice president. “We were prepared to walk away and come back next spring if we couldn’t achieve our goals. Thanks to our skilled negotiators and the unity among our members we were able to keep our job security provisions intact and provide affordable health care and improved wages through this agreement.”

In the meantime, negotiations continue between AT&T and the CWA for more than 22,000 Southeast workers more than a week after that contract expired. The workers voted to authorize a strike if necessary but remain on the job.